Improvement in bed-slats



A. WATSON.

BED-SLATS..

No. 188,085. Patented March 6,1877.

NPETERS. FHOT stead having my improved slats.

section of the same, and Fig. 3 shows one of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AGUSTUS WATSON, OF ALTONA, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-SLATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,085, dated March 6, 1877; application filed October 19, 1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AGUSTUS WATsoN, of Altona, in the county of Bates and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useerence being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a bed- Fig. 2 is a my improved slats detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in slats for bedsteads, which, when applied to two or more slats of the bed, will not only hold these securely in their respective places, but at the same time tie the sides of the bed together in such a manner that the remaining slats, not equipped with my improvement, will be prevented from springing out of their places.

The nature of my improvement, and its construction and operation, are as hereinafter more fully shown and specified.

In the drawing, A is the bedstead and B B are the slats. Two or more of these are constructed in the manner shown in detail in Fig. 3that is, having at each end a downward-projecting metallic clamp. This may either be a plain plate of sheet metal, screwed or bolted onto the end of the slat, or it may be bent, and screwed or otherwise secured to the under side of the slat, these two forms being shown at c and a, respectively. Instead of these any other construction, however, may be used by which the slat is equipped with a solid downward-projecting catch or clamp.

D is one of the rails of the bedstead, having mortises d, in which the slats are placed. Those of the mortises din which my improved slats are to be placed have narrow slots 0, into which the clamps 0 will exactly fit.

As before stated, only two of my improved slats need to be used in each bedstead, this being a sufficient number to tie the sides of the bed together in such a manner as to prevent the rest of the slats from springing out; but, if found desirable, all of the slats may be furnished with my improvement, which, being cheap and easily adjusted, adds but very little to the total cost of the bed.

If desirable, one or more slats may be placed lengthwise in the bed, as shown at G, Fig. 1, in order to tie the ends of the bed together, each slat being equipped with the clamps c c.

The advantages of my improvement will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

Two or more of my improved slats, when properly placed in a bed, will not only increase the durability of the bed by preventing the sides (or ends) from springing apart,

the effect of which naturally is to loosen and weaken the joints, but by doing so they will at the same time cause the remaining slats, not having my improvement, to remain in their proper positions, no matter how great a weight is placed upon them.

I am aware that it is not new to provide bed-slats with projecting clamps, arranged to engage with corresponding catches upon the sides of the bed; hence I do not claim such arrangement broadly but I am not aware that bed-slats having downward-projecting clamps c 0 have been ever arranged to engage with corresponding slots in the sides of the bed, thus saving the expense of extra supporting strips or plates; therefore Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States In combination with a bedstead, A, the side rails D of which have mortises 01 formed with slots 6, the improved slats B herein described, having at each end clamps or catches c fitting into slots 0, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AGUSTUS WATSON. Witnesses E. A. SToLP, M. M. TUCKER. 

